1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dental devices, and more particularly, to a device to dispense articulating paper in a manner that improves the articulating paper's ability to indicate dental occlusion or alignment of a patient's teeth by transfer of material to teeth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is important in many dental procedures to determine the dental occlusal contact points, the points where the teeth of the lower jaw contact the corresponding teeth of the upper jaw when the jaws are closed. These dental procedures include not only procedures in which the occlusal surface of the dental restorative or of the natural tooth is contoured, such as in preparing dental restoratives of various types or in improving the occlusion of certain or all of the natural teeth, but also include analyzing the progress of dental treatments or orthodontic treatment plans.
Typically the patient's occlusion is determined by conducting dental articulation tests using articulating paper. Articulating paper is formed from varying materials such as paper, Mylar, film, or silk, which is embedded, impregnated, or coated with one or more color pigments. Articulating paper is commonly available in strips or rolls of varying thicknesses.
The articulating paper is placed between the occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower teeth of the patient. Then the opposing tooth surfaces are brought into occluding relationship with each other, which causes the color pigment of the articulating paper to be displaced onto the tooth surfaces at the points of contact. The articulating paper is removed, and the markings remaining on the teeth are analyzed to determine the points of contact as well as the relative biting pressures exerted by the occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower teeth.
The size, shape, and/or color of the displaced color pigment is indicative of such contact points and pressures. Thus the occlusal surface of the dental restorative or the natural tooth can be contoured or the progress of the orthodontic treatment ascertained. For example, if the bite surface is too high, a bite plane correction can be made by scraping or filing the marked contact points to the extent necessary to achieve the proper bite contact. Without precise and accurate markings, the dental professional may not have the information required to perform these and other dental procedures in an optimal manner, increasing the risk of dental disease, poor cosmetic results, or patient discomfort.
The current articulating paper system does not consistently provide the required precise, accurate markings. Furthermore, at times the color pigment coating on the paper becomes dry, resulting in indistinct or inaccurate marking of the contact points between the occlusal surfaces. As a solution to this problem, petroleum jelly can be manually spread thinly on the coated sides of each strip of the articulating paper immediately prior to use. While this practice makes the markings bolder and more predictable, it is messy and takes additional chair time. It would thus be beneficial to have a device that could lubricate the articulating paper in a neat, streamlined, and time-efficient manner.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a time-saving articulating paper dispenser that could lubricate the articulating paper neatly, quickly, and efficiently so that the articulating paper would provide more precise, accurate marking of the contact points between the occlusal surfaces.